The following are special offers from Matrix Travel for September 2006 and the latest news from the world of travel. For more information on these or any other flights, contact Matrix on 01296 399877 (Aylesbury) or 01604 605080 (Northampton).

SPECIAL OFFERS*

********************************************************** The following offer is valid for travel from 1st November 2006 to 28th February 2007 and MUST BE BOOKED BY 3RD OCTOBER

LONDON – NEW YORK (Return) £1,699 plus taxes With Business Class SAVING OVER £200.00

Restricted flights only. Minimum of 3 nights stay, to include a Saturday night. Once issued, no refund and no changes are allowed. ********************************************************** The following offers are based on travel in October 2006:

1. Singapore Airlines to Perth £2750 plus taxes Business Class. No minimum stay. (Published fare £4625 plus taxes)

2. Kenyan Airways to Nairobi £1557 plus taxes Business Class. Minimum 7 night stay. (Published fare £2390 plus taxes)

3. Lufthansa to Beijing £1239 plus taxes Business Class. No minimum stay. (Published fare £1870 plus taxes)

4. -Dubai with Swiss £950 plus taxes Business class. Change at Zurich. No minimum stay. (British Airways comparison fare is £2,014 plus taxes)

5. KLM to Amman £831 plus taxes Business Class. (Published fare £1881 plus taxes)

6. Emirates to Delhi £396 plus taxes Economy class. Minimum 7 night stay. (Published fare £460 plus taxes)

7. Manchester-Mexico with Air France £265 plus taxes Economy. Change . Saturday night stay.

8. London-Hong Kong with Lufthansa £259 plus taxes Economy. Change at Frankfurt. Saturday night stay. (British Airways comparison fare is £332 plus taxes)

9. London-Beijing with Austrian £209 plus taxes Economy. Change at Vienna. Saturday night stay. (British Airways comparison fare is £430 plus taxes)

10. London-New York with Virgin £132 plus taxes Economy. Saturday night stay.

11. -Helsinki with British Airways £111 plus taxes Economy. No minimum stay.

DON’T FORGET if you want to save money – Ask for quotes from us with alternative airlines!

*All of the above flight offers are subject to availability and were available at time of preparing this document. The above offers may not be available by the time of booking but Matrix Travel will endeavour to find the cheapest flight available at the time of booking. Terms and conditions as well as any relevant fees, taxes and surcharges apply.

MATRIX TRAVEL NEWS EOS REVIEW By our Managing Director, David Griffiths, who recently flew to New York on EOS.

In a word – ‘Excellent’.

Because of the limited number of seats (48) checking in is very quick and easy. As neither flight was full it was even quicker and easier! They have their own check-in desks in both STN and JFK. After check-in they will escort you to the lounge which in STN is a small Eos only lounge with the usual comfy seats, drinks, snacks and cakes etc. In JFK they use the Emirates lounge which is plush!

The plane is excellent and the service was superb. The flat bed seats were extremely comfy and made sleeping (on the return night flight) reasonably easy. The food was also very good. The cabin crew were attentive and in plentiful supply.

All in all it was an excellent experience and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to fly business class to NYC. They offer a great service at exceptional prices and it is definitely worth keeping an eye open for any promotions.

THE BACKGROUND TO MATRIX GCI When Matrix Travel Management came into existence in 1994 (then under the Uniglobe brand name) they developed a way of working that guaranteed the delivery of a quality service to their many customers. When a customer needed a flight, hotel or car hire, or any number of other ancilliary services, they knew that Matrix would deliver – both in terms of cost and service.

Over the years that followed Matrix’s customers began to ask for help with other areas of their travel requirements – namely group travel. Having experienced the fantastic service levels offered by Matrix for their day-to-day travel needs they realised that Matrix could help with their other needs.

So Matrix Travel Management began its group operations. During the next few years we arranged numerous groups to a whole range of destinations for a variety of reasons, including:

29 Golfers to Malaga on the Costa del Sol 67 Incentive winners to California and Hawaii 17 Top management personnel to Edinburgh 143 Competition winners on a luxury Caribbean cruise 98 Incentive winners to Hong Kong and Australia 33 Distributors on a “Thank You” trip to

Some of these groups were the basic “flight only” arrangement whereas the majority included a range of extras such as hotel accommodation, airport transfers, airport parking, excursions and meeting facilities.

By 2004 we had developed our groups business to the extent that we felt a separate branding would be beneficial and so Matrix Groups, Conferences and Incentives (GCI) came into being.

Matrix GCI is the one-stop solution to your group, conference and incentive needs. You already know that you can trust Matrix to deliver on your normal travel and now you have the opportunity to use our GCI service as well.

If you would like us to tailor make a group, conference or incentive event to your own particular requirements then please contact us.

Telephone: 01604 605080 Email: [email protected]

LEISURE OFFERS*

All our leisure offers come from our leisure partner EAGLE TRAVEL. If you are interested in any of the following offers or would like help in finding a holiday please call Sue, Jessica or Judy on 01234 348882

PHUKET THAILAND From £680 per person Cape Panwa Hotel 4star SAVE up to £220 10 Nights B&B. Standard Room Economy Class Flights For departures between 10th Sept. to 20th Oct.

GRENADA From £749 per person Grenadian By Rex Resorts SAVE up to £294 7 nights All Inclusive Hillside Room Economy class flights For departures up to 25th October

CROATIA £289 per person Hotel Amfora, Rabac 7 nights Half Board 30th September from Gatwick

NEW YEAR IN NEW YORK £849 per person Helmsley Hotel Including tax and 29th December for 3 nights FREE Circle Line Cruise Scheduled flights in Economy

TABA HEIGHTS £429 per person Hyatt Regency Hotel 5 Star 25th September from Gatwick Half Board

ABSOLUTE LUXURY . . . HUVAFEN FUSHI – MALDIVES From £2059 per person 7 nights 5 Star ++ B&B Economy class flights with Emirates Beach Bungalow with Plunge Pool For travel before 31st October

CRUISE DEALS There are always Cruise Deals available with savings up to 60% on selected cruise lines. For best price deals and up to the minute availability please call us on 01234 348882

DON'T FORGET . . . we can also arrange: • Car parking or overnight hotel accommodation at the airport • Airport Executive Lounges worldwide • Comprehensive Travel Insurance • Travelling light - your luggage sent to your destination independently

*ALL OFFERS ARE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY

TRAVEL NEWS

AIR NEW ZEALAND will be offering a special business class return fare of £2,207 and a premium economy at £1,020 when it starts its London to Hong Kong service in October. The daily non-stop B747-400 service departs London at 9.15 pm and arrives in Hong Kong the following day at 5pm.

ASLEF TRAIN DRIVERS STRIKE IN LONDON. Train drivers from South West Trains and Heathrow Express, and represented by the ASLEF union, went on strike on 29 August. As a result, some of the transport services into central London were cancelled, causing travel problems to thousands of commuters. The strike meant that South West Trains could only run a little over 300 services across southern and to London's Waterloo station instead of the usual 1,700. Drivers from Heathrow Express also went on strike, disrupting the connection between the airport and Paddington station. This strike was the result of previous industrial actions earlier in the year which left managers driving the trains. ASLEF called the strike to protest against the use of managers in this role in any future industrial actions. Two more one-day strikes are scheduled to take place on 8 September and 11 September, respectively. Due to the strikes, visitors to London and its surrounding areas should expect delays in their travels and should prepare themselves to use other means of transport on the days of the strike.

BRITISH AIRWAYS has sold its travel clinic business to MASTA (Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad) following the decision to close the Piccadilly travel shop (and all the travel shops throughout the country). Travellers in central London requiring one to one advice, inoculations, including Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A, will find the nearest MASTA clinic at 52 Margaret Street, just north of Oxford Circus. There are over 30 MASTA clinics around the country and the organisation has been appointed British Airways Preferred Partner for travel health services. http://www.masta-travel-health.com

EAR PAIN is the most common medical problem when flying a survey commissioned by Deafness Research UK has discovered. 34.3% of those scrutinised have experienced ear pain during a flight. The second most common condition is swollen feet or ankles (18.8%) and 14.9% have experienced stress, anxiety or "air rage" during a flight. Only 28.6% of people have never experienced a medical problem while flying. The charity, chaired by Lord Ashley the former MP, is launching a new series of tips to help flyers overcome ear pain or discomfort. A leaflet, called In-Flight Ear Health, is now available and gives practical tips on preventing ear discomfort including guidance for hearing aid users and parents of children with glue ear. It will be interesting to see with the introduction of the Boeing 787, and further on Airbus A350 XWB with their cabin altitudes more tuned to what we expect at sea level, whether this makes any difference to airborne ailments. http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

FLYBE is launching a twice-daily service from Southampton to Amsterdam on September 11 and a single daily service from both Exeter and on October 29. These will be the first flights to Amsterdam from Exeter and will bring competition on this route to Scot Airways at Southampton and KLM (and its predecessors KLM UK, Air UK and Air Anglia) at Norwich.

FLYBE has also introduced self-service check-in kiosks at Manchester airport. The service will be extended to the no-frills airline’s other bases over the next 18 months. Flybe is also increasing services between Southampton and Glasgow from four to six times daily this month (September).

HEATHROW EXPRESS customers are being offered free access to the new Rejuve Club, located in the international departure lounge, T1, until the end of September. Rejuve is a revitalising place for passengers’ well-being. Once inside it is an oasis of calm, the reverse of the busy terminal. The 4,500 sq ft club includes an exercise area, eight treatment rooms, innovation pod, barber’s area, power showers, secure storage, juice bar, private club area and retail section. Customers will need to present their Heathrow Express train ticket to take advantage of the offer. http://www.rejuve.info

JETBLUE AIRWAYS has launched up to six daily non-stop flights between New York/John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington, D.C./Dulles International Airport breaking into a market dominated by the US generic carriers. Services will be operated by JetBlue's Embraer 190 fleet, featuring 100 leather seats, generous legroom, 36 channels of onboard TV and more than 100 of satellite radio. The new services complete the JetBlue New York - Boston - Washington triangle.

MARRIOTT HOTELS in the US and Canada will be 100% smoke free starting in September. More than 90% of Marriott's guest rooms are already non-smoking. In total the chain has nearly 2,300 hotels and 400,000 guest rooms. Marriott said it expected "very positive customer feedback" from the move.

QATAR AIRWAYS has become the first international airline in the world to introduce live digital satellite TV beamed direct to every passenger on their individual seatback TV systems at 35,000 feet. The airline has introduced the system offering a multitude of European and Middle East TV channels on five of its fleet of Airbus A330 long haul aircraft. By the end of the year, 14 aircraft, including the airline’s brand new Airbus A340-600 which enters service this month, will be equipped with the new Rockwell Collins Tailwind 560 satellite television system. Distributed through Showtime Arabia, via the Rockwell Collins system, a further ten aircraft will be equipped with the service during 2007. The service is initially being made available on flights within and between the Middle East and Europe. Channels include Al Jazeera, BBC World, EuroNews, CNN International, TV5, EuroSport News, MBC and Disney Channel. The system’s multi-directional antenna allows passengers to enjoy uninterrupted entertainment as their flights pass from Middle Eastern into European airspace.

STANSTED users should note that a £2.1m scheme to provide dedicated left-turn lanes to improve access from the M11 at Stansted Airport (junction 8) started on Monday 4 September. The work is due to be completed by Friday 15 December. There will be overnight closures of the A120. Work will be taking place during daytime off-peak hours from 0930 to 1530 and overnight from 2000 to 0400 each day when a 40 mph speed restriction will be in place. Allowances should be made in getting to the airport. For more information click on the followint link: http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/detail.asp?ReleaseID=223276&NewsAreaID=2 &NavigatedFromDepartment=True

TSA ACCEPTED PADLOCKS (Transport Security Administration in all US commercial airports). These padlocks are essential for anyone planning a trip to the U.S.A. If you decide to lock your baggage for Air Travel, you should be aware of the new security measures introduced in the U.S.A. If immigration decide they want to open your checked baggage and your bag is locked, then the locks may have to be broken. immigration is not liable for damage caused to locked bags that must be opened for security purposes.

The Prosafe Travel Sentry Certified locks are recognised and accepted by the Transport Security Administration in all 429 US commercial Airports. All locks display a logo, which alerts TSA agents that they can open your lock and relock it using codes and secured tools during inspection so no more damaged locks and bags

The TSA site is at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtm One UK site that sells the locks: http://www.catch22products.co.uk/Security.htm

VIRGIN ATLANTIC is always innovative. First there were individual movies, then masseurs and now meditation, but Richard Branson's airline is still at it regarding ideas. It now plans to introduce the world's first in-flight texting service, which will allow passengers to have questions answered on any topic at 35,000 feet. They will be able to text questions from their seat-back television screens to an existing land- based text answer service which promises to answer any question within minutes. On the way to New York you can ask for a recommended bar or the best way to your final destination. Maybe the latest cricket or football score. However, texting mates over the North Atlantic is still not with us although Air France is running a trial of technology that will enable passengers to use their mobile phones whilst flying in early 2007. Cost starts from £1 upwards

VLM Airlines will boost weekday frequency between London City airport and Amsterdam by 50% to nine flights on September 4th.

WIZZ AIR the Polish budget carrier is to add flights from Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield to its UK network. The airline is to start three flights a week to Katowice on September 19th. Wizz Air started flying from Robin Hood's sister airport Liverpool John Lennon in 2004 with six flights a week and now runs 12 services a week to three destinations.

Interesting (or Useless) Information for September:

SEPTEMBER is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. September begins in western tropical astrology with the sun in the sign of Virgo and ends in the sign of Libra. Astronomically speaking, the sun actually begins in the constellation of Leo and ends in the constellation of Virgo. In Latin, septem means "seven". The origin of the name may also be attributed to Vedic culture. In sanskrit, Sapta refers to "seven" and Ambar means "sky". "Sapt-Ambar" referred to the seventh sky or month in the Vedic culture. September was also the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 153 BC.

September 1 - 1830 The nursery rhyme “Mary had a little lamb” was published. September 3 - 1189 England's King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) crowned in Westminster. September 4 - 1888 George Eastman received patent for roll-film camera. September 7 - 1548 Catherine Parr, widow of King Henry VIII of England, died. September 8 - 1966 Star Trek makes its debut on NBC-TV. September 9 - 1513 Battle of Flodden Fields; English defeat James IV of Scotland. September 12 - 1954 "Lassie" made its television debut. September 16 - 1620 Plymouth Pilgrims left England on the "Mayflower". September 27 - 1825 The first passenger train went into operation in England. September 28 - 1066 William I, of England, known as the "Conqueror" invaded England claiming English throne. September 30 - 1929 First manned rocket plane flight (by auto maker Fritz von Opel). - 1955 Actor James Byron Dean died at age 24 from injuries received in a car crash. - 1968 First Boeing 747 rolls out.

If you DO NOT wish to receive our monthly special offers/newsletter please send your preference to [email protected] Thank you.